


Twelve Hours

by bonnieanonnie



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Drinking, M/M, Partying, chaos agent joshua, jeonghan in lip gloss, just bros being pointlessly dramatic about their feelings, panicked gay jihoon, responsible seungcheol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-24 21:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22004557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonnieanonnie/pseuds/bonnieanonnie
Summary: “Okay, but what I want to know," Soonyoung says from his seat on the back of the couch, loud enough that he pulls the people in the room from their various conversations."Is what the fuck went down between Jeonghan and Seungcheol?"
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 195





	1. Hour 1: Joshua, Jeonghan and Jihoon's flat. 18:04

**Author's Note:**

> the first scene of this fic was written in the bathroom of a casino at three in the morning, which i think says more about me than anything ever will.
> 
> as usual a million roses and thank yous to [whiteshores](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiteshores/pseuds/whiteshores) who beta'd for me and who gives me so much support ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

The front door opens and from the sound of the footsteps Jeonghan knows it's Joshua. He looks down at his phone to check the time and frowns.

"Where have you been? I thought you were cooking dinner for everyone?"

"Well, Jeonghan, sometimes life gets in the way," comes Joshua's reply, voice teeming with an unhealthy cocktail of annoyance and stress as he slams the door shut behind himself and kicks his shoes off with far more aggression than Jeonghan would say they deserve.

"Sometimes forces out of your control decide to step in and say 'we're gonna fuck up your whooole thing today just because we can’, and  _ sometimes _ you accidentally use your best friend's super intense silver shampoo and completely fuck up your beautiful red hair and is thus forced to book an emergency appointment with your hairdresser because there is no way you're going out with ugly, discoloured hair on the last night out of the semester."

"That's so valid," Jeonghan's words are accompanied by a solemn nod."And if it helps you look amazing."

Joshua's still wearing a deep frown, and his lips are stuck in a hint of a pout, but he reaches up to run his hands through his new raven black hair."It does help." 

"I forgot how good your hair looks naturally," Jeonghan continues, laying the flattery on thick to try to subdue his best friend's bad mood."It makes you look handsome, more mature."

Joshua rolls his eyes at the onslaught of compliments, but he's got a smile on his face so Jeonghan can tell he enjoys the praise.

"And don't worry, bubu," he says as he turns off the tv and gets off the couch, stretching languidly as he stands up."I'll see what the kids are feeling and order us food.”

“You’re a lifesaver!” Joshua calls as he heads into the bathroom.

“They don’t call me ‘angel’ for nothing.” Jeonghan replies, mostly to himself, as he pulls open their group chat, ready to interrogate the kids on what they wanted him to order for their dinner.


	2. Hour 2: Hansol, Seungcheol and Mingyu’s flat. 19:45

“Which shoes should I wear?” 

Hansol groans at Mingyu’s question. Mingyu had spent the better part of the past two hours fretting over what outfit to wear, and while Hansol usually didn’t mind Mingyu’s obsessive need to overthink every single detail of his outfit, his stomach was growling and he’d already gotten snaps from Seungkwan showing the abundance of food Jeonghan had ordered for their party. He wanted to get going, like, thirty minutes ago.

“Kim Mingyu,” he starts, face resting on the back of the couch and eyes trained on the ceiling.”I love you so much, but please let’s just go.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Is Mingyu’s only response, but his tone of voice tells Hansol that he’s not very sorry at all.”By the way, have you seen Seungcheol?”

Hansol shakes his head, fishing his phone out of his pocket to look at another snap from Seungkwan, this time portraying the boy shoving an impressively sized piece of fried chicken into his mouth.”Haven’t seen him all day.”

“Haven’t seen him all year, more like.” Mingyu scoffs, emerging from his bedroom.”I’m ready to go.”

Hansol is out of his seat and by the door in record time. His stomach gives a rumble, spurring him on.

“I can’t believe no one’s called him out yet,” he says as he ties his shoes. He hears Mingyu hum above him.

“You’d think Jeonghan would have raised hell over it by now.”

“Please,” Hansol rolls his eyes as he heads for the door.”As if he hasn’t been all kinds of weird this year.”

“Jihoon’s convinced Seungcheol did something stupid.” Hansol laughs at Mingyu’s comment. For a best friend, Jihoon was never one to shy away from telling Seungcheol he was an idiot.

“Honestly wouldn’t be surprising,” he agrees.”Seungcheol’s all brawn and no brains, I’ve never seen him think anything through properly.”

“Give the man some credit,” Mingyu says with a wide grin.”At least he's takes his sweet time buying birthday gifts for his Hani.”

Hansol gives a guffaw at his flatmate’s words, the bittersweet memory of Seungcheol forcing them to run around looking for a gift for Jeonghan a few hours before they were expected at the boy’s birthday party still fresh in his mind.”Yeah, but that’s only because Jihoon made him return the Tiffany’s necklace he impulse bought at two in the morning.”


	3. Hour 3: Joshua, Jeonghan and Jihoon's flat. 20:23

When Jun approaches him, his features are arranged in an expression of faux nonchalance, and Jeonghan knows he's going to need to down the drink he's currently making to be able to deal with whatever it is the younger wants to talk about.

"So," Jun starts, doing an absolutely dreadful job of seeming casual."Last night out of the semester, huh?"

"What do you want, Jun?" Jeonghan cuts to the chase, eyes still focused in front of him where he's pouring up another round of mixers for whoever might want one.

"Oh, nothing special--"

Jeonghan rolls his eyes and moves on to the third glass, measuring up vodka for his own drink."Sure, 'nothing.'"

"Just wanted to ask if you have any plans on finally doing something about whatever's going on between you and Seungcheol?" Jun's still trying to keep his voice casual, but Jeonghan can hear the tell tale signs of _something_ in the way he speaks. He pours an extra bit of vodka into his drink.

"There is nothing 'going on' between me and Seungcheol." Now it's Jeonghan's turn to try to appear nonchalant, and not to toot his own horn, but he does a much better job of it than Jun.

From beside him, Jun groans."You're practically married! You're basically co-parenting our whole friend group!"

"Jeonghannie-hyung!" Hansol's voice travels in from the living room."When's Seungcheol-hyung coming?"

"Don't know, Hansol," Jeonghan calls back, throwing a glance at his phone. No messages."He shouldn't be long now."

When he turns back to Junhui he's met with a pointed look.

"See? You're a pair, everyone thinks so." Jun reaches a hand out to grab one of the drinks Jeonghan’s just poured soda into. Jeonghan slaps his hand away just to be petty."If it's about Seungcheol, people come to you."

Jeonghan rolls his eyes once more, but the rebuttal dies on his tongue when his phone lights up on the counter between him and Jun, the word _Seungcheollie♡_ greeting him on the screen.

Jun gives him a shit-eating grin."Better pick up," he says and crosses his arms over his chest, looking smug."Daddy's calling."

"Oh, fuck off," Jeonghan throws at him as he raises his phone to his ear.

"Excuse me?" Seungcheol's voice is tinny, but his amusement is still clear as day.

"Not you, Seungcheollie." Jeonghan explains, swiftly slapping Jun's hand away from where he’s attempting to take one of the finished drinks now that Jeonghan’s distracted."Junhui's being a brat."

Jeonghan does his best to suppress the shiver that runs down his spine at Seungcheol's deep chuckle echoing in his ear, his heart giving a little stutter against its better judgement as a fond smile takes over his features.

"I'm just calling to say I don't think I'll be able to make it tonight."

As fast as the smile had come, it goes, freezing into a grimace as Seungcheol's words register in his mind.

"Oh." Jeonghan mentally curses at himself the same second the sound leaves his mouth. He sounded disappointed, maybe even a little heartbroken. Things had been weird between them the whole year, ever since the start of Autumn term. Jeonghan would like to say he has no idea why, but he figures he’s lied enough to people over the past few months, no need to lie to himself as well. 

“I’m sorry.” To Seungcheol’s credit, he does sound genuinely remorseful. Too bad no amount of ‘ _I’m sorry_ ’s could make up for Seungcheol flaking out on almost every single group outing this whole year.

“The kids’ll be disappointed.” _I’m disappointed_.

“I know, I really wish I could be there.”

”Has something happened?” _Did I do something?_

“Not at all, something just came up.”

"Okay." He doesn't know what to say. Even now, after months of Seungcheol cancelling on them last minute, he has no idea how to navigate the situation.

"Tell the kids I'm sorry, and I promise to make it next time."

Jeonghan wants to snap at him that that's exactly what he said last time, and the time before that. He's used the same words the whole year, and Jeonghan has long since moved past getting his hopes up that he means it.

"I will," is what he says instead, voice a carefully constructed guise of normalcy."Bye, Seungcheol."

"Have a good night, Hani."

When he puts the phone back down on the counter, he lets his eyes travel between his cup of vodka and the carton of orange juice, debating with himself. He can feel Jun's heavy gaze on him.

"He's got feelings for you," the younger says, soft and gentle, no doubt treading carefully because he can sense his disappointment. Jeonghan doesn't want to hear it."Everyone can see it."

He reaches out for his cup, foregoing the orange juice and instead just downing the liqueur straight. Jun had no idea what he was talking about.

"Of course he does." When the cup is empty he sets it down on the counter and wastes no time reaching for the bottle of vodka again."We're best friends after all."

Drink once again poured, this time with orange juice, Jeonghan turns to Jun and raises his cup.

"Cheers, Junnie." His smile is wide, and if Junhui hadn't just witnessed what he had, he never would have realised anything was amiss.


	4. Hour 4: Joshua, Jeonghan and Jihoon's flat. 21:09

Jihoon watches intently as Jeonghan walks out of the kitchen, a tray full of drinks in his hands. He narrows his eyes as he follows the boy with his gaze, taking in his movements as he hands out drinks to his eager dongsaengs, all busy stuffing their faces with the vast assortment of food Jeonghan had ordered.

Tray empty, Jeonghan collapses on the sofa next to Mingyu, clinging to his arm and whining for him to feed him some of the noodles he's eating.

Jihoon takes a last swig from his beer, then deposits it on the floor by his feet as he fishes his phone out of his pocket.

Jihoon:Your spouse is clinging onto Mingyu whining for him to feed him noodles

Jihoon: And I'm pretty sure I just saw him down half a glass of vodka

Jihoon: What did you do

Seungcheol: Let me live

Seungcheol: And he's not my ~spouse~

Jihoon: But you wish he was

Jihoon: Tho you might be right, he'll ditch your ass if you keep messing up like this

Seungcheol: Why do you assume I did something????

Seungcheol: You're always on his side even tho you're supposed to be MY best friend ):<

Jihoon: I'm on his side because you want me to be

Jihoon: You'd never be able to stand me thinking your precious Jeonghannie did something wrong

A few long minutes pass with no response from Seungcheol, so Jihoon decides to pester him further. He could still feel residue nerves and stress from the recently passed exam period that he needed to let out, which meant he had no intentions of letting Seungcheol ignore him and get away with it.

Jihoon:I know you know he's in love with you

Jihoon: And I also happen to know that you feel the same way

Jihoon: So pls just fucking do something about it

Seungcheol: I was drunk when I said that

Seungcheol: It doesn't count

Jihoon: Dude it's because you were drunk it counts

Seungcheol: It doesn't matter what I feel anyway

Seungcheol: I'm not good for him

Jihoon: Are you drunk? Or on crack?

Jihoon: Where the fuck is this coming from

Seungcheol: Nevermind

Seungcheol: It's nothing

Seungcheol: I gtg have a good night

Jihoon sends a few more messages, trying to threaten Seungcheol into telling him what the fuck was going on, but gets no response. Seungcheol had been acting strange the whole year, and it deeply unnerved Jihoon that he had absolutely no idea why. He had considered them best friends for the past decade, and to suddenly be shut out by Seungcheol, no idea what was going on, both hurt and worried him. It didn’t help that Jeonghan, the most logical second party in whatever situation Seungcheol was in, was keeping mum, pretending as if everything was fine.

He watches Jeonghan for a few minutes more, silently vowing to take extra care of his flatmate tonight, when someone sitting down on the arm of his chair pulls him out of his thoughts.

“What’s got you all frowny, Jihoonie?” He looks up and meets Joshua’s gaze, goosebumps immediately spreading over his neck. Joshua looked really good in his new hair, especially with it gelled up like this, and after three years of painful pining, this new look might actually be what forces Jihoon into confessing.

“I think you know what,” is all he says, reaching over to take Joshua’s beer from his hand and raising it to his lips, taking a swig.  _ Indirect kiss _ , his mind supplies giddily.

Joshua sighs deeply and takes his bottle back, scooting down the arm of the armchair and swinging his legs over Jihoon’s thighs, effectively sitting on his lap.“Seungcheol cancelled again.”

It takes all of Jihoon’s willpower to force the heat away from his gut when he feels Joshua shift on his lap, mind chanting a long string of curses as he rips Joshua’s beer away from him again and downs it, trying to disguise his flushed cheeks. He loved Joshua, both in the  _ friend _ way and the  _ let me kiss you breathless _ way, but if there was one thing he could live without, it was the easy way the man seemed to blur the line between friendly and flirty with his touches and words. Except, Jihoon thinks with a final swallow of beer, as painful as the teasing words and suggestive touches were, he’s not sure he could give them up. They were as close as he’d ever get, after all.

“Not surprising,” he croaks out once the bottle is empty, dropping it unceremoniously to their floor. He ignores the way Joshua is eyeing him, one eyebrow raised and an amused smile on his lips. Fuck Joshua Hong and his gorgeous face, making life hard for vulnerable gays like Jihoon. 

“He’s played hooky all year,” he continues, eyes adamantly facing forward, desperately focusing on not embarrassing himself. He’d always found Joshua enchanting, ever since he met him in first year. Jihoon had been awkward and even smaller than he was now, starting university a year earlier than most, and Joshua had been the tall, kind boy in his class who offered to help him tune his guitar after their teacher yelled at him for not already having it done. Jihoon didn’t want to call it love at first sight, but he would admit that it had been three years of very painful pining on his part. 

“Jeonghannie won’t tell me anything,” Joshua is pouting, Jihoon can hear it in his voice. He tries to tell himself not to look, to keep his eyes firmly planted on the youngest three’s adorable cuddle pile in the corner of the room, but in the end he can’t stop himself, eyes straying to the side, landing on the way Joshua’s tempting lips are pulled together in a pout. His throat dries up and he regrets finishing Joshua’s beer so quickly.”But it’s obvious something’s happened between them.”

“Y-yeah,” Jihoon croaks out, eyes transfixed on the way Joshua’s eyelids glitter in the dull light of the fairy lights on the wall.”Wish they could get over themselves.”

“Me too,” Joshua sighs again, readjusting himself on Jihoon’s lap. Feeling Joshua squirm on top of him, Jihoon quickly raises his hands to take hold around his hips, keeping him still, the flush on his cheeks no doubt growing even deeper.

Joshua seems to take no notice of Jihoon’s distress, simply moving his own hands to rest on Jihoon’s arm that’s laying across his stomach.

“You’d think they would have realised it’s mutual by now,” he says, heavy eyes locked with Jihoon’s. Jihoon’s breathing is stuttered, and he has to use all his brain power to register anything Joshua is saying and not just basking in the wonderful shape of his moving lips.”It’s not like they’re subtle about it.”

Joshua’s hand starts moving up his arm, Jihoon’s heart picking up with every centimetre it climbs higher. Did Joshua have any idea the things he did to Jihoon’s poor insides? Did he have even the slightest clue of the knots his mere presence made of Jihoon’s organs?

“They’re practically all over each other.” Joshua’s hand reaches his shoulder, and that’s when Jihoon realises he’s a lot closer than he was a few seconds ago. Jihoon feels his dick give an interested twitch in his pants and promptly presses the panic button.

“I gotta pee.” He blurts out, gracelessly pushing Joshua from his lap and bolting from the living room.


	5. Hour 5: Joshua, Jeonghan and Jihoon’s flat. 22:54

“Okay, but what I want to know," Soonyoung says from his seat on the back of the couch, loud enough that he pulls the people in the room from their various conversations."Is what the fuck went down between Jeonghan and Seungcheol?"

Not expecting the sudden attention, Jeonghan pauses his movements, the glass of wine he’d been getting ready to down hovering somewhere by his chin. His body is simultaneously numb and hyperactive, a strange tingling sensation in his legs that told him he was getting a little too close to his limit. He looks around the room, does his best to focus on each of his friends’ anticipating faces to gauge what tactic would work best.

“What.” He deadpans, face kept as neutral as he can manage. He was usually a good actor, but alcohol had a way of making him vulnerable, which meant that he had to play this as carefully as he could. There was a reason he had kept what happened from everyone. Mainly it was because it was none of their business, but also because it felt unnecessary to share something that, at the end of the day, didn’t matter, with people who were so important to both him and Seungcheol.

“Don’t play stupid,” Seungkwan says with an eyeroll.”If something is up with Seungcheol you’re usually the reason why.”

Jun gives an exaggerated gasp.“Was there someone else?”

“Did he have a second family?” Hansol throws out.

“A gambling addiction he’s kept secret?” Jeonghan can’t help but chuckle at Seokmin’s strange suggestion.

“Papa,” Chan pulls their attention to him with his sad voice, and when Jeonghan looks to him, he’s sitting on the floor, wide eyes full of pretend sadness.”Why doesn’t daddy come home anymore?”

This actually manages to draw a proper laugh out of him, and he feels the glass of wine being plucked from his hand, no doubt by Joshua’s equally drunk but ever so responsible self, as he throws himself back to laugh loudly. The laughter spreads around the room quickly, with the rest of his friends throwing out their own pleas for Jeonghan to disclose the location of their pretend daddy. Jeonghan laughs them all off. There was a time when quips about him and Seungcheol being the parents of their group made him feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings, but ever since August they’d left him with nothing but a hollow sorrow, like something had been taken from him.

When the laughter dies down Jeonghan is quick to reclaim his glass from Joshua’s hand, content to leave the topic of him and Seungcheol behind him. His plans are quickly squandered by Minghao, who scoots across the floor with a serious look on his face until he’s sat at Jeonghan’s feet.

“But really,” he implores, calculating eyes on his friend.”What actually happened? Because we can all tell something’s wrong.”

Jeonghan rolls his eyes and moves the glass to his lips, letting the cheap white wine flow into his mouth and down his throat. He didn’t want to talk about this.

“I really,” he says once he’s finished the wine, setting it on the living room table with a decisive clink.”Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Minghao has his mouth open, no doubt getting ready to amp up the interrogation, but he’s interrupted by the happy tune of a phone coming from the table.

Jeonghan startles in his seat at the sound, quickly reaching over to get his phone.

“Fuck,” he curses seeing the number.”The taxis are here.” He shoots up in his seat, grateful for Joshua’s hands on his hips when he stumbles. Once up on his feet he collects himself, makes sure to adopt his most decisive tone of voice.

“Everyone,” he says with a wave around the room.”Get up and get ready, we have to go now!”

His words set off a flurry of movement, his kids quickly tripping over each other in an uncoordinated mess trying to locate last minute necessities and previously discarded clothing. Jeonghan brings the phone to his ear, using his most professional tone of voice to tell the taxi driver they’ll be just  _ a little bit late _ and  _ could he please give them an extra fifteen minutes? _ to which he gets an annoyed sigh and gruff agreement.

Taxi driver appeased, Jeonghan sets about making sure his kids are decent and ready to go. The flat is spinning around him as he moves through it, made all the worse by the eleven people currently running around. Once in the hallway he makes eye contact with Joshua, who shouts at him that he’s heading downstairs to the taxis, Jeonghan gives him the ok and orders Chan and Hansol to go with him.

One would think, Jeonghan ponders to himself as he makes his way through the hallway to the door, that after several years of nights out and parties, they would be more well versed in the art of rushing to get ready in order to make it to the pre-booked taxis. He looks at the time on his phone and sighs. The extra fifteen minutes he’d asked for had already passed. He tucks his phone back into his pocket with one hand, and opens the front door with the other.

“Kids!” He shouts, keeping the front door open, desperately trying to usher his gaggle of kids out the door while also avoiding all thoughts of how much easier this would be if Seungcheol was there with them.”We should have been in the taxis by now!”

“Jeonghan!” Soonyoung hollers from somewhere inside the flat.”I can’t find my jacket!”

“Just get one from my room, we don’t have time!” Jeonghan yells back as he herds Mingyu and Seokmin out through the door.

“Does everyone have their IDs?” He checks with the people by the entrance, drunk mind trying to count how many kids he has in front of him. He gets to seven before he gets distracted by Seungkwan, who has somehow managed to put on his jacket inside out.

“Wait for me!” Someone calls from inside the bathroom.

“You have two minutes before you get left behind!” Jeonghan calls back, fitting Seungkwan back into his jacket, this time with the right side out. The person inside the bathroom, Jun, if he wasn’t mistaken, lets out a panicked yell, and the next thing that can be heard is someone very urgently moving through their bathroom routine. It draws a happy laugh from the people still in the hallway.

“I’m here, I’m here!” Jun stumbles out of the bathroom.

“Good,” Jeonghan praises as he herds Seungkwan, Minghao and Wonwoo through the door.”Now, shoes on and into the taxi!”

“Yes, sir!” Jun gives a little salute, and then makes quick work of getting into his shoes.

The next couple of minutes pass in a blur of moving bodies and loud chatter, and when Jeonghan is finally the only one left in the hallway, he hops into his shoes, throws a jacket over one shoulder and scurries out the door and down to the driveway outside the apartment building.


	6. Hour 6: Taxi. 23:34

Jihoon watches, mildly amused, as Jeonghan hops into the taxi, looking remarkably put together for someone who’s the university equivalent of a single parent with almost a dozen children.

“I think that must be the fastest we’ve ever managed--” Jeonghan starts, running a hand through his bangs to neaten them, when Joshua interrupts him.

“Wait, wait, wait, are you wearing lip gloss?”

Jihoon watches, dread in his gut, as Joshua leans forward to inspect Jeonghan’s lips where they shine, red and glittery, in the ugly car lighting.

“Yeah!” Jeonghan responds with great enthusiasm.”I bought it yesterday, want some?”

Joshua let’s out a drawn out  _ hell yeah _ and then, right in front of Jihoon’s eyes, his two flatmates purse their lips and join them together in a quick peck, effectively transferring some of the lip gloss on Jeonghan’s lips to Joshua’s.

Jealousy, coupled with a shameful hint of arousal, swirls in Jihoon’s gut, and he blushes at the thought that he wishes he’d gotten the moment on film. What could he say? His friends were gorgeous, and seeing them act close and touchy always made an assortment of contradicting emotions well up inside him, feeling like envy, arousal and fondness all at once. 

“Wish I filmed that,” his alcohol muddled brain decides to share with the rest of the car.”Bet Seungcheol would have loved to see it, too.”

The car erupts in laughter, Soonyoung laughing particularly hard at his joke. Jihoon tries to laugh along, but the look on Jeonghan’s face sucks the humour right out of him. He’s laughing along with everyone else, rolling his eyes to show how ridiculous he thought Jihoon’s statement was, but his eyes are dull, and his shoulders are tense against his seat. Jihoon knows he’s made a mistake but for the life of him his brain can’t fit the pieces together, least of all now, muddled with alcohol.

Suddenly, Jun has his phone up and trained on the disaster twins in the seats opposite them.

"One more time for sad, old Seungcheol sitting at home!" His voice is much louder than it needs to be, making Jihoon flinch. If he was just the tiniest bit more sober, he'd recognise this as the bad idea it was. He swallows, his throat thick. He’s drunk too much, he realises.

“I’m not sure--” he tries to choke out a protest, but the excitement in the car is too loud for him to be heard. Beside him, Chan claps his hands in encouragement.

If Jihoon had thought the first time was bad, the second time is even worse. 

It passes slower this time, but Jihoon can’t figure out if it’s because his drunken mind is slowing everything down, or if the boys are gentler with their touches. 

They meet in the middle, just like before, lips pursed. They press a series of quick, sweet pecks against each others’ lips, their hands coming up around each other. It’s adorable, not heated in the slightest, but the way their hair contrasts, Jeonghan’s long blonde locks against Joshua’s pitch black ones, and the sweet way Joshua cups the back of his best friend’s head, still makes heat pool in Jihoon’s stomach.

At the same time, he knows this is a bad idea. Jun shouldn’t be filming this. He needs to stop him from sending it to Seungcheol. He has to--

When Jeonghan and Joshua break away from each other, they both break into giggles, flushed faces still close together. Jihoon sees in the corner of his eye how Jun taps away at his phone, and as he’s swallowing around his tongue in his mouth, getting ready to stop him, Joshua turns to him, mischief shining in his eyes when he asks,

“Did that satisfy you, Jihoonie?”

Jihoon’s face goes beet red, flush traveling down past his collar and up over his ears, his mind storming with thoughts.  _ No _ , he wants to scream,  _ if it’s not me kissing you I will never be satisfied _ .

“Y-yeah,” he stutters out instead, turning his head toward the window to avoid Joshua’s eyes on him.

“I sent it to Seungcheol,” Jun cackles excitedly.”He’s going to lose his mind.”

The car erupts in laughter again, and even though his blood is rushing in his ears, Jihoon can pick up on how fake Jeonghan’s laugh sounds.


	7. Hour 7: 17Carat. 00:01

Joshua knew Jihoon was avoiding him, it was obvious. After he’d teased him in the taxi, Jihoon had steadfastly avoided his gaze, spending the rest of the car ride looking out the window, not taking part in the rest of the conversation. Once they’d pulled up outside the club, Jihoon had slipped out of the car the second the taxi driver was paid, Joshua only managing to catch sight of his black jacket as he attached himself to Mingyu and Seokmin, pulling them into the club.

He hadn’t seen him since, and it was starting to annoy him. 

Joshua didn’t consider himself a particularly petty person. Sure, he had a penchant for chaos and wasn’t opposed to partaking in some harmless gossiping here and there, but overall he was not one to purposefully create drama. 

Jihoon might make him change his mind, though. If he was in a clearer state of mind, he’s sure he’d recognise the irrationality of his feelings, but right now all he cares about is the fact that despite his less than subtle flirting, Jihoon was pretending to be clueless.

It was humiliating. He’d danced around Jihoon for months, growing less and less subtle because he could have sworn he’d seen the signs of reciprocated feelings. He thinks back to earlier, to Jihoon’s arms around his waist, and his brows furrow in frustration. It didn’t make sense, why Jihoon would do something like that during the party, only to turn around and ignore him a couple of hours later.

He needs a break, he decides, before swiftly handing Soonyoung his drink, mouthing  _ bathroom _ to him, and turning around to head off in the direction of the toilets.

In a twist of fate, he finds Jihoon the same moment he stumbles into the bathroom. He’s leaning against one of the filthy sinks, one hand holding his phone, the other massaging his temple.

“Jihoon.” It comes out as a quiet breath, but even with the dull thumping of music from outside, the sound manages to startle him.

Jihoon’s eyes are wide and his mouth hanging open, face a perfect mask of startled confusion. He looks cute.

“Joshua.” Jihoon hurries to stand up straight, tucking his phone away.

“Hey,” he greets, feeling a tad awkward at running into him like this. There are only a handful of other people in the bathroom, which Joshua is grateful for as he makes his way further into the room.”What are you doing?”

“Texting Seungcheol.” Jihoon frowns.”Or, trying to, anyway. He’s not answering.”

“Ah, I see.” Joshua nods, and, in an attempt to distract himself, he turns the sink on and starts washing his hands.

“Do you know what’s going on between them?” There’s no need for Jihoon to specify who he’s talking about, Joshua knows instinctively who he’s referring to.

"I have my suspicions." Joshua rips some tissues from the dispenser with more force than necessary, his mood souring quickly. It was always about Jeonghan and Seungcheol. Every conversation he had with Jihoon, no matter where or when, nowadays seemed to revolve around their best friends. It hadn’t always been like this, and Joshua missed the old them. It seemed like it had been months since they hung out just the two of them, since they’d talked as just them, and not the best friends of two very clearly in love idiots.

"But Jeonghan hasn't told you? I've been trying to get Cheol to spill but so fa--"

"I really don't want to talk about them right now, Jihoon.” Joshua snaps. throwing the tissues he was using to dry his hands down onto the counter.

"I-- Okay, sure. Do you-- uhh--" Jihoon’s face looks confused, and Joshua studies his face in the mirror, not turning around. "Want to talk about something else?"

"What's going on between us?" It slips out without his permission, and he regrets it as soon as it does. Sure, he was growing impatient and annoyed with his and Jihoon’s dancing around each other, but he hadn’t planned on a drunk confrontation in a club bathroom. He backtracks.”Nevermind, I gotta get back to the others – ”

He turns around, ready to head out the door, when Jihoon’s hand catches his.

“What do you mean?”

Joshua wants to laugh, he couldn’t believe this. There was no way Jihoon was this dense. In the same moment as that thought graces his mind, a horrible thought forms at the tail end of it; what if Joshua was the only one who saw something brewing between them? What if, for the past months,  _ years _ , Jihoon had put up with his flirting, hoping Joshua would take the hint and cut it out? 

The notion of the possibility that he had made it all up in his head crosses Joshua's mind, and it makes his limbs go heavy. Jihoon is still talking behind him, but Joshua can't form the words to explain himself, doesn't know how to get his feelings across without getting his heart broken know the process.

“Joshua, what’s going o--”

In an act of cowardice, Joshua turns around. He gives Jihoon no time to react, only cups his face and leans in, pressing a soft, quick kiss to his lips.

Then he bolts.


	8. Hour 8: 17Carat dance floor. 01:49

Jeonghan is, to his own surprise, having a great time. He’s on the dancefloor, three drinks deep, and he can’t remember the last time he felt this carefree. There’s nothing but him, his friends and the music blasting from the club speakers. Not even the thought of Seungcheol seeing the video from the taxi could dampen his mood. Was this what getting over someone felt like? He throws his head back and laughs when Seungkwan suddenly starts pulling Mingyu down into a series of increasingly aggressive slut drops.

The song changes, the upbeat club banger being exchanged for something far more heady and dirty. Jeonghan feels a buzz travel through him, something different from the drunkenness. It clouds his judgement and makes it harder to think. His heart and body is yearning, there’s a hunger in him. 

He wants.

A few moments later, as if sensing the shift in Jeonghan’s mood, someone puts their hands on his hips and he lets himself be pulled back against a sturdy chest. Jeonghan basks in the heat of the touch, allows the shallow heat of lust to wrap itself around his abandoned heart until it’s the only thing that matters.

It only takes them a few seconds to develop a rhythm, the person behind him using strong hands to guide Jeonghan’s hips. The hands feel good on him, strong and sure. He knows these hands, knows the firm chest he’s resting against and is intimately familiar with the breathing in his ear. He laughs, loud and unashamed, and grinds back with more intent, the pleasure already pooling in his stomach. Jeonghan can feel the man’s lips brush against his ear as he leans down, and the sensation makes him shiver

He’s missed this, missed the way Seungcheol would wrap his arms around him when they danced to keep him steady. Had it really been nine months since they’d been this close? He feels lips grace the shell of his ear and giggles.

“What’s your name?”

The words break the illusion, Jeonghan’s fantasy shattering the same moment the unfamiliar voice reaches his ears. He opens his eyes, but can’t get them to focus on anything around him. This is wrong, his heart yells at him, wrong, wrong, wrong. He can’t breathe. He’s been pushed under water and is quickly suffocating, he needs to leave.

He doesn’t bother making excuses, doesn’t even turn around to get a look at his dance partner, only fights his way out of his grip and stumbles through the crowd. He feels the guilt replace the pool of lust in his gut. He doesn’t owe Seungcheol anything, and yet here he is, heart beating in his chest as he runs through the club, desperate for air.


	9. Hour 9: 17Carat ground level smoking area. 02:13

Leaning against the brick wall outside the club, the air around him filled with smoke and loud talking, Jeonghan tries to psyche himself up. He was sobering up, but didn’t feel like drinking any more, mostly wishing he could just go home and curl up in bed and sleep off the heavy feeling in his chest. Sadly, going home early wasn’t an option. The plan was for an all-night rager for the whole friend group, going home would mean alerting the others that something was amiss, leading to at least one of them insisting they take him home, and there was no way Jeonghan would ruin their last proper night together with his own one-sided drama.

Curse Choi Seungcheol for ruining his mood without even being there.

He huffs to himself and slumps back against the brick wall behind him. This was all Seungcheol’s fault. Jeonghan had nothing to feel guilty for, no reason to feel sorry or like he’d done something forbidden. He had every right to dance with a stranger if that’s what he wanted to do. 

Nonetheless, the thought of going back into the club, of potentially finding someone new to dance with, made his heart ache and mood sullen. The scene from the taxi resurfaces in his mind, and it makes his stomach twist. Contrary to what Jihoon and the rest of his friends might think, Seungcheol wouldn’t care about the video. As confusing as the past nine months had been, if there was one thing Jeonghan was sure of, it was that Seungcheol was unconcerned with the preoccupations of his lips, heart and hands. A year ago, maybe Seungcheol would have given a fond chuckle, or sent some gif that expressed the entirely wrong emotion for the situation. Now, Jeonghan doubts Seungcheol even bothered to check Jun’s message. 

It was all Seungcheol’s fault, Jeonghan thinks as he kicks a stray pebble. Everything in life always came back to him, and it seemed no matter what, all of Jeonghan’s roads were doomed to lead to the feet of Choi Seungcheol. Too bad Seungcheol had boarded up his doors and windows, content to watch Jeonghan run around like a fool trying to find a way back inside.

“Choi Seungcheol, you asshole.” He mutters to himself, and, as if summoned by his words, Jeonghan hears a voice call his name.

“Jeonghan!” It doesn’t take long for Jeonghan to spot Seungcheol, standing by the metal barrier surrounding the smoking area, looking impossibly dashing in his hoodie and basketball shorts. 

Jeonghan almost doesn’t believe he’s there, has to surreptitiously pinch himself in the arm to make sure he hasn’t blacked out and started dreaming. He rubs the sore spot where he’d pinched himself as he makes his way over to Seungcheol, weaving through the chattering crowd and dodging clouds of cigarette smoke until he’s in front of him. Seungcheol has an almost delirious look about him, and as he steps up in front of him Seungcheol’s eyes give a quick, almost imperceptible once over of his body. Jeonghan clenches his jaw at the sight, what right did he have to act concerned now, after months of absence?

“What are you doing here?” It comes out a lot more accusing than Jeonghan had intended, his tone making Seungcheol flinch. There’s guilt in Seungcheol’s eyes, and Jeonghan isn’t proud of the satisfaction he feels because of it.

“Soonyoung messaged me,” Seungcheol explains. Jeonghan notes how he buries his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. He knew all of Seungcheol’s ticks, whether nervous, angry or agitated, he knew what little clues to look for. This particular habit was a nervous one, an attempt on Seungcheol’s part to stop himself from squirming.”He said you weren’t feeling well.”

Jeonghan sucks his lower lip into his mouth. His lip gloss had worn off by now, leaving him with nothing but the stain of soft pink the advertisement had promised. He feels haggard, as if he’s aged fifty years in the past twenty minutes. Once, Seungkwan had made the claim that it wasn’t a good night unless you came back from it looking like shit. At the time, Jeonghan had laughed and agreed, recalling all the wild nights he’d come back from with hair mussed and clothes a mess. Now, he thinks that might have less to do with the success of the night, and more to do with the way alcohol weighs you down, keeps you trapped in your emotions, amplifying whatever occupies your heart at that moment.

He doesn’t want to be happy that Seungcheol came at the word of his distress, but he can’t help but feel like this was a hopeful turn to a shitty night. A year ago he would still be inside the club, dancing with his friends, Seungcheol at his side. Or he’d have thrown an arm across Seungcheol’s shoulders and wheedled him into carrying him to the nearest chicken place. But that was a year ago, his head reminds him bitterly, things are different now.

Jeonghan feels his attitude sour.

“I’m fine.”

“Soonyoung said he saw you practically run off the dancefloor.” Seungcheol has something he wants to say, Jeonghan can tell. It’s not like Seungcheol to beat around the bush, always the type to act first and think later, so whatever has him pausing must be particularly controversial.”He said he saw you dancing with someone.”

“So what if I was?” He wants to pick a fight, wants to provoke Seungcheol into giving him all his attention. Look only at me, he wants to scream at him, think of no one else but me.”What does it matter to you who I dance with?”

“I-it doesn’t--” Seungcheol stutters out, stepping closer to the fence separating them, resting his hands on the railing.”I was trying to ask if anything you weren’t comfortable with happened.”

Of course Seungcheol wasn’t jealous. Of course all he cared about was making sure no one had done something Jeonghan didn’t like. This had nothing to do with Seungcheol wishing he’d been the one to dance with him, and everything to do with the weird sense of responsibility Seungcheol seemed to feel over every person he interacted with.

With a sigh, Jeonghan steps up to the metal fencing. He takes a firm grip with his hands and swings his legs over. Seungcheol’s hands come up, as if he wants to offer his assistance, but they freeze in the air and drop awkwardly once Jeonghan is over the fence, only a slight stumble in his landing.

“I’m leaving.” Jeonghan announces, not gracing Seungcheol with as much as a look as he starts walking.

“What--” Seungcheol hurries to catch up.”Where are you going?”

“None of your business.”

“Hani, please let me--”

Jeonghan halts, fury welling up at the nickname. He whirls around to face Seungcheol.” _ Don’t call me that. _ ”

Seungcheol, as if slapped by Jeonghan’s angry hiss, takes a step back. Jeonghan doesn’t let himself feel guilty for the evident hurt in Seungcheol’s eyes, instead he simply turns back around and keeps walking.

“You can’t just walk around by yourself drunk, Jeonghan.” Unsurprisingly, Seungcheol’s sense of responsibility outweighs his hurt feelings.“It’s the middle of the night.”

“What’s it to you?” He bites out, hands curled into fists at his side.”You haven’t given a fuck about me this whole year, why do you suddenly care now?”

Seungcheol reaches out and takes his hand in a loose grip, his touch so soft it’s like his hand is merely hovering over Jeonghan’s own. The lackluster grip makes Jeonghan’s stomach twist, nausea washing over him at the reminder of the distance that’s formed between them this year. “Jeonghan, please just let me take you home, you’re drunk--”

“I’m not, though,” he rips his hand out of Seungcheol’s grip with far more force than would have been needed, Seungcheol’s arm falling limp back to his side.”I’m angry. I’m  _ hurt _ .”

“We fucked, Seungcheol.” It’s the first time either of them has said it out loud, the first time it’s even been acknowledged.”It happened, and I know you think it was some huge mistake, but I don’t understand why you have to act like a fucking asshole about it.”

Seungcheol looks stunned, eyes wide and face struck with something like horror, and in the middle of Jeonghan’s anger, that familiar hurt flares up, the same raw spot in his heart that’s been growing bigger in time with the distance between him and Seungcheol ever since that fateful night at the start of Autumn term.

“It’s been nine months.” It rolls off his tongue like a curse, so acidic and sharp it feels almost painful saying.”Be an adult and get over it, or just tell me you don’t want to be my friend anymore so I can stop running after you like an idiot.”

“Y-you remember?” Seungcheol still looks caught off-guard, face contorted into something strangely afraid.

“Yes, I remember! Every second of it!”

“Then why-- You said you didn’t remember what happened--” The distress in Seungcheol’s voice is clear. It makes Jeonghan want to throw up.

“Of course I did!” He’s shouting now, his voice, rubbed raw from singing back in the club, echoes down the street, making the few people around them speed up or cross the street to avoid the scene they’re causing.”What else was I supposed to say? When you looked at me like--”

He cuts himself off, swallows the words back down. Every time he closes his eyes he can see Seungcheol from that morning, clear as day. The tremble in his hands as he stood in the doorway, the hickey peeking out from the collar of his hoodie, the tension in his shoulders and the closed off expression as he asked Jeonghan what he remembered from the night before. The way he couldn’t actually look directly at him, as if seeing Jeonghan in his sleep shirt on his bed filled him with shame.

The way his shoulders sagged, face full of poorly concealed relief when Jeonghan lied and said  _ not much, did I steal your bed? _

“What do you mean? Looked at you like what?”

“Like--” he takes a few extra steps back from Seungcheol and resents the fact that he doesn’t follow.”Like it was shameful, like I was shameful.”

“You didn’t even properly look at me, you looked to the side of me.” His face twists into something ugly, like fury and heartbreak.”You couldn’t even fucking _ look at me _ .”

“I thought if I said I didn’t remember anything we could just move past it, since you obviously didn’t enjoy the experience.” His hands come up to rub at his face, smudging the makeup around his eyes. He’s so tired, all he wants is to go home, to be alone.”But then you started avoiding me.”

Seungcheol stands silent, eyes wide and pooling with guilt, another sorry no doubt forming in his throat. But Jeonghan doesn’t want guilt, and he doesn’t want another meaningless ‘I’m sorry’. His head is pounding. He’s so, so tired. He turns around, ready to walk away. He’d send Joshua a text explaining things, telling him there was no need to worry and letting him know he was in charge of the kids for the rest of the night.

“I was ashamed of my actions.” Jeonghan stops mid-step, trying to parse through what Seungcheol is saying. “You were drunk, I took advantage of you.”

Jeonghan turns around, despite his exhaustion and the way his body screams at him not to. He doesn’t understand what Seungcheol is talking about, his face scrunched up in confusion as he looks at Seungcheol again.

“At first I thought that if you didn’t remember anything, I could just pretend that it never happened,” one of Seungcheol’s hands come up to run through his hair, and it’s then that Jeonghan notices that it’s different, shorter. He looks at it bitterly, realising Seungcheol has been so distant Jeonghan can no longer even be certain of what he’ll look like the next time he sees him.“But you not remembering was even worse, ‘cause it meant you didn’t even know what I did to you.”

“What you ‘ _ did to me _ ’?” He’s somehow both offended and amused at Seungcheol’s explanation. The words are laughable, and, more than anything, so typically Seungcheol. Things fall into place, and for the first time in nine months Jeonghan feels like maybe he knows what’s going on. Of course Seungcheol would find a way to twist their spontaneous one night stand into some kind of great wrongdoing against Jeonghan's personhood and virtue, or whatever other bullshit Seungcheol tended to worry about. Of course Seungcheol would let his sense of responsibility and protectiveness fool him into thinking he could ever do something Jeonghan didn’t want.

Jeonghan lets out a laugh, loud and humourless. He’s so tired of Seungcheol’s shit, and at the same time, he’s still so fucking in love with him.

”What the fuck, Seungcheol? I wasn’t drunk.”

“You seemed drunk,” Seungcheol says it with apprehension, as if he’s trying to figure out if Jeonghan’s lying or not.

“I’d had a couple of drinks, I was tipsy but not-- not drunk, Seungcheol.” He does his best to explain himself, tries to put into words the overwhelming euphoria he’d felt that night in August. It had been just them, no loud kids or meddling friends, just Jeonghan and Seungcheol, reunited after a whole summer apart. Jeonghan had been so happy, so full of laughter that he hadn’t known what to do with himself. The joy had been coiled tight inside him, filling him with the electrical surge of want. When Seungcheol had looked at him, eyes soft and smile wide, Jeonghan hadn’t been able to hold himself back and years of childish pining had come to a head. He’d kissed him, pressed himself as close to Seungcheol as he could, begging him to never let him go. 

”I was so happy to see you.” It comes out as a whisper, small and vulnerable. It’s a simple statement, and upon first glance it might look trivial, but Jeonghan knows Seungcheol will understand the weight the words hold. 

“Hani, that doesn’t--”

“I’ve been in love with you for years.” Jeonghan interrupts him to say, voice strong and unwavering. Seungcheol looks surprised, as if this was the last thing he’d ever think would leave Jeonghan’s lips.

For a split second he feels himself worry about what Seungcheol will say now that he has all the pieces of his heart, but the worries disappear with one look from Seungcheol. It didn’t matter what had been said or done, Seungcheol was unfalteringly gentle, always has been. If there was one person’s hands his heart was safe in, it was Choi Seungcheol’s.

Seungcheol looks distressed, face blotchy with redness and skin glistening from perspiration. His beautiful eyes are wide, and there are heavy bags under them. He hasn’t been taking care of himself, Jeonghan realises, and his heart hurts at the thought. He’s missed him so much. 

"Fuck, Jeonghan, I'm so sorry, I-"

When Seungcheol says sorry again, Jeonghan really can't take it anymore. He takes three steps to close the distance between them, raises his arms, and just as Seungcheol is leaning back, hands coming up in defence, Jeonghan throws himself at him. He wraps his arms tight around his shoulders and squeezes as hard as he can, hugging him with all his strength.

"Shut up, Seungcheol," he orders, eyes closed and heart beating fast at being closer to Seungcheol than he's been all year."Stop apologising and just  _ be here _ ."

“I’m sorry, I--”

“ _ Seungcheol. _ ”

“I’m here, Jeonghan.” Seungcheol’s arms come up around him, and it feels so good Jeonghan almost starts crying. 


	10. Hour 10. 17Carat rooftop smoking area. 3:01

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Joshua hangs his head, the guilt that was already pooling in his stomach growing even stronger. He can hear Jihoon walk up until he’s standing next to him by the railing. He wants to look at him, but he can’t muster up the courage.

“I think one of the kids must have messaged Seungcheol,” Jihoon says the words easily, drumming his fingers on the metal railing. Joshua rolls his eyes. Everything always came back to Jeonghan and Seungcheol.”I saw Jeonghan yell at him a couple of blocks away while looking for you.”

”Dramatic bitch.” Joshua scoffs. Of course Jeonghan would have a drunken confrontation in the street. He chooses not to think about the fact that Jihoon had clearly meant what he said about looking for him everywhere.

“I think they finally worked it out.”

Despite his sour mood, Joshua feels lighter at the thought. Jeonghan hadn’t been the same this past year, and if he’d stuck around enough for Joshua to get a good read of him, he assumes Seungcheol would have been in a similar state.

“You know, it’s kind of a dick move to kiss someone and then run away.” There it was, the confrontation Joshua was waiting for. Jihoon doesn’t sound particularly bothered when he speaks, and from the corner of his eye Joshua watches how he fishes a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, taking a cigarette out and lighting it with practiced hands. Joshua always liked Jihoon’s hands. They were smaller than his own, as most were, but they had a strength to them, a gentle kind of confidence in the way they moved.

“I’m sorry.” He mutters, resting his chin in his palm and looking out at the view in front of them. The club was a fairly impressive building, and the view wasn’t half bad, even if he mourned the lack of stars.

“I never pegged you for someone who’d shy away from the consequences of his actions.” Jihoon takes a long drag of his cigarette, then he mutters, ”that’s more my forte.”

“What do you want me to say, Jihoon?” Joshua grows tired of being silent, so he turns to face the boy he’s loved for the past few years and readies himself for heartbreak.”You already know everything, there’s no need to embarrass me further.”

Jihoon frowns and stubs out his cigarette on the railing after only a few drags.

“I’m not trying to embarrass you,” he starts, turning to face Joshua. He raises a hand to rub at the back of his neck, a blush quickly spreading over his cheeks. Joshua has to fight back an instinctive smile at the sight.”I actually came to ask if we could do that again.”

Joshua blinks a few times.”That?”

“Y’know,” Jihoon’s blush deepens and he waves a hand between them.”The-- uhh-- kissing thing.”

Joshua’s head blanks.“You want to,” he points to Jihoon, then himself.”With me?  _ Again _ ?”

“Well, yeah,” Jihoon says with a little shrug.”It’s all I’ve been dreaming of for, like, years.”

A surprised laugh falls from Joshua’s lips.”I thought you were going tell me off for all my blatant flirting.”

“Wait,” Jihoon’s face goes blank, then confused, then morphs into something Joshua thinks must be shock.“You’ve been flirting with me!?”

Joshua has to keep himself from face palming, because he can’t believe he’s allowed himself to fall in love with someone as dense and dumb as Lee Jihoon.

“Yes, of course I have.” He says, exasperated.”What did you think me sitting on your lap was?”

“I assumed we were out of seats!”

“I could’ve just sat on the floor!”

“Listen,” Jihoon laughs out, evidently too delighted by the notion of Joshua flirting with him to feel offended at the fact that Joshua was baffling at his density.”I’m an idiot, okay?”

“Of course you are,” Joshua says with a roll of his eyes.”You’re best friends with Seungcheol, birds of a feather and all that.”

“That was uncalled for.” Jihoon narrows his eyes at him and Joshua chuckles. He takes a few steps closer, effectively closing the distance between them. The mood shifts, and Joshua rests his arms over Jihoon’s shoulders.

“Sorry,” he apologises, not feeling particularly sorry.”I’ll make it up to you.”

Jihoon has to turn his face up to be able to look him in the eye, and the fact seems to make him sulk.

“God, why are you so tall?” Jihoon’s sullen muttering makes Joshua break out into giggles. He plays with the hair at the nape of Jihoon’s neck.

“Do you need a stepping stool?”

“Oh, shut up, asshole.” Jihoon scoffs at him. Joshua, feeling cheeky, decides to give him what he wants.

He leans down, hands cupping Jihoon’s face gently so he could tilt his face up, and hungrily joins their mouths. Jihoon gives a deep grunt of surprise, but he quickly catches up, making quick work of following Joshua’s movements. Joshua hums a pleased sound when he feels Jihoon’s hands make their way up and down his back, the touch making goosebumps spread over his skin despite the warm night air. Jihoon seems to like the sound, because his hands grow bolder, slowly making their way lower and lower until they’re just above the waistband of his jeans.

Joshua sucks on Jihoon’s bottom lip in encouragement. He feels one of Jihoon’s hands slide even lower, until it’s resting on his ass. He breaks the kiss momentarily.

“Jihoon, we should--”

Two consecutive ding’s sound, pulling them both from their little bubble of infatuation. It takes Joshua a few seconds before he can get his eyes to open, but when he does, he sees Jihoon’s frowning face looking at the phone in his hand.

“The others are heading out,” he says, the hand that’s still resting on Joshua’s back stroking slowly up and down in a soothing motion.”They’re getting noodles.”

Joshua, eyes heavy and body suddenly exhausted, nods.”Good, I’m starving.”

He hears Jihoon chuckle, and the arm around his waist starts pulling him along.

“Better get going then, babe.”

“I’ve waited years to hear you call me that.”


	11. Hour 11. Unnamed noodle shop. 4:59

"Fuck, marry, kill," Joshua's voice breaks through the low chatter in the restaurant. Usually, finding a place big enough to accommodate all 13 of them was virtually impossible, but at almost five in the morning it was significantly easier, the early hour meaning they were the only ones in the restaurant."Pennywise, the Jersey devil, a cyclops.”

They all let the question sit for a few seconds, allowing it to hang in the air while people make their choices.

"Kill Pennywise." At once, the silence is broken by their voices in unison, quickly followed by loud hoots and high fives at their collective agreement that Pennywise was decidedly unfuckable.

"I'd fuck the jersey devil." Jeonghan's the first to decide, voice slightly muffled from where he's got his face half-buried in Seungcheol's shoulder."He could probably give it to me good."

"Can't believe my own hyung is a fucking furry." Chan complains, voice laced with mock disgust.

"You wouldn't fuck the jersey devil, but you'd marry him?" Hansol turns to Chan, a disbelieving look on his face.

"Just 'cause we're married it doesn't mean we have to fuck."

“I think I’d fuck the Jersey devil too,” Soonyoung announces, fingers taping along his chin in thought. Seungkwan, Minghao and Mingyu all giving their agreement.

"The jersey devil's got hooves, though." Jun muses from the other side of the room, one hand rubbing his chin and eyebrows furrowed deeply, evidently weighing his options carefully.

Jeonghan emerges from Seungcheol's shoulder, wearing a matching frown."Yeah, so?"

"He can't pull your hair if he's got hooves," Jun explains like it's obvious. At his words, Jeonghan, Soonyoung and Seungkwan all pause, each seemingly going through their own careful consideration of this new fact.

"I'll fuck a cyclops, then." Jeonghan decides with a firm nod of his head, Seungkwan, after what seems to be a serious discussion with Hansol, deciding that he would also rather fuck a cyclops.

While Soonyoung gives his surprisingly intricate reasoning for why he’d still fuck the Jersey Devil, Seungcheol gives Jeonghan a glassy eyed look, mouth hanging open slightly.

"You- uhh-" he clears his throat awkwardly."Like getting your hair pulled that much?"

Jeonghan meets his gaze, unflinching, when he says,

"Yeah."

“Could’ve told me that last August.” Seungcheol purses his lips into a pout.”I would’ve delivered.”

Jeonghan smirks at him, something evil in his eyes.”I was drunk, I must’ve forgotten.”

“Please, don’t even joke like that.”

When they rejoin the conversation, it’s to listen to Joshua taunting Jihoon for his refusal to take part in the game.

“It’s not real, Jihoon,” Joshua argues between giggles.”You don’t actually have to fuck a monster.”

Jihoon, ears red and eyebrows drawn together, sinks lower in his seat.”I don’t care, I’m not gonna choose.”

“Can you even be friends with us if you’re not a monsterfucker?” Jun raises a valid point.

“If you’re not a monsterfucker you’re the most likely to die in a horror movie,” Minghao says as he takes a sip from his drink, eyes covered by bright pink sunglasses Jeonghan is sure he wasn’t wearing at the start of the night.”And that’s a scientific fact.”

“Guess I’ll just die then!” Jihoon says, closed fist connecting with the table.”It’s your loss anyway, none of you would survive long without me.”

“I’d rather fuck Bigfoot.” Seokmin announces, a frown on his face and a chopstick behind each ear.”He needs some lovin’, I can tell.”

“Well if we get to choose then I want to fuck a kelpie!” Wonwoo cackles, finally abandoning his bowl of noodles and joining the game.

“Wonwoo’s a horsefucker!” Mingyu shrieks, scandalised, successfully sending the whole group into a frenzy.


	12. Hour 12: The hallway outside Jeonghan, Joshua and Jihoon’s apartment. 05:52

“Have fun you two!” Jeonghan calls after Joshua and Jihoon as he watches them quickly shuffle into Jihoon’s room. Jihoon makes sure to pause in the doorway long enough to give both him and Seungcheol a nice view of his middle finger. 

Jeonghan gives a soft giggle at the sight before he turns to Seungcheol.

"Promise I'll see you later?" It comes out a lot more insecure than he'd intended, but Jeonghan chalks it up to his own exhaustion.

Seungcheol looks like he's about to apologise again, but a pointed look from Jeonghan and he seems to change his mind.

"Don't worry, I promise." He holds up a pinky. Jeonghan hooks his own finger around Seungcheol's."I'll be back in a few hours, and I'll take you out for lunch."

"I'm going to be miserable," Jeonghan smiles at him, cheeky. Their pinkies are still linked."Tired and hungover."

Seungcheol grins.”Nothing I haven’t seen before.”

“That’s true.” Jeonghan uses his grip on Seungcheol’s finger to pull them closer together.”You should kiss me goodbye now.”

The blunt request has Seungcheol’s face colouring red quickly, and Jeonghan smirks, pleased with himself as he watches Seungcheol swallow nervously.

“You sure you want to do this now?” 

“I’ve waited nine months, Choi Seungcheol.” Jeonghan fixes him with a serious look.”I want my kiss and I want it now.”

“Guess I better deliver then.” 

When their lips touch, a great calm washes over him. He sighs into the kiss, and the hand not linked with Seungcheol comes up to rest on the other man’s shoulder. Despite the many months since, Jeonghan recognises the feeling of their lips together. The softness of Seungcheol’s lips, the slow way they move against his, the hand that comes to rest on his waist. Jeonghan is sure he could never forget any of it.

They kiss, slow and unhurried, in the soft morning sunlight spilling in through the hallway window. Jeonghan’s heart beats quick in his chest, but his mind is calm, focused on nothing but how right it feels to be this close to Seungcheol again.

When they break apart, it’s with great reluctance. Their pinkies are still linked between them, and Jeonghan tightens his hold on Seungcheol’s.

“Text me when you get home,” he whispers against Seungcheol’s lips.

“You’ll be asleep by then.” Seungcheol’s voice is equally soft.

“Do it anyway.” Jeonghan rests his cheek against Seungcheol’s.

“Anything for you.”

They stay in each other’s arms for several minutes more, and only separate when Jeonghan’s eyelids grow heavy and he starts swaying in Seungcheol’s arms, close to falling asleep.

Seungcheol makes his way out the door quietly, turning back to press soft kisses to Jeonghan’s face several times before he finally turns to leave.

Jeonghan stays in the doorway, biting his lip and watching with fond eyes as Seungcheol walks toward the stairs. There’s a gentle flutter of butterflies in his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on twitter @jeonghannieya

**Author's Note:**

> hmu on twt @jeonghannieya


End file.
